title: Possible mechanism of the anti-inflammatory activity of ruscogenin: role of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and nuclear factor-kappaB.
abstract: Ruscogenin (RUS), first isolated from Ruscus aculeatus, also a major steroidal sapogenin of traditional Chinese herb Radix Ophiopogon japonicus, has been found to exert significant anti-inflammatory and anti-thrombotic activities. Our previous studies suggested that ruscogenin remarkably inhibited adhesion of leukocytes to a human umbilical vein endothelial cell line (ECV304) injured by tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in a concentration-dependent manner. Yet the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, the in vivo effects of ruscogenin on leukocyte migration and celiac prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) level induced by zymosan A were studied in mice. Furthermore, the effects of ruscogenin on TNF-alpha-induced intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression and nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation were also investigated under consideration of their key roles in leukocyte recruitment. The results showed that ruscogenin significantly suppressed zymosan A-evoked peritoneal total leukocyte migration in mice in a dose-dependent manner, while it had no obvious effect on PGE(2) content in peritoneal exudant. Ruscogenin also inhibited TNF-alpha-induced over expression of ICAM-1 both at the mRNA and protein levels and suppressed NF-kappaB activation considerably by decreasing NF-kappaB p65 translocation and DNA binding activity. These findings provide some new insights that may explain the possible molecular mechanism of ruscogenin and Radix Ophiopogon japonicus for the inhibition of endothelial responses to cytokines during inflammatory and vascular disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Complex Prescription of TCM, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Ya-Lin
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Jun-Ping
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Kou
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Jia-Xi
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Bo-Yang
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D021581:Active Transport, Cell Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D031441:Ophiopogon / Q000737:chemistry; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D035281:Plant Tubers; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D013150:Spirostans / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051996:Transcription Factor RelA / Q000378:metabolism*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D015054:Zymosan
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013150:Spirostans; D051996:Transcription Factor RelA; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D004247:DNA; D015054:Zymosan; C012541:ruscogenin; D015232:Dinoprostone